Back in 2006 Allardyce bought the player for Bolton for a club record fee, and has said he would be interested in signing him for West Ham, BBC News reports.

‘It could interest me, of course it could,’ he said.

‘It would be of interest if that is a possibility financially and he wanted to come.‘I have had no conversations with Nicolas’s agent at this time.’

Happy days: Nicolas Anelka at Bolton (Picture: BRIAN WILLIAMSON)

However, the former France International is believed to be on a £250,000-a-week deal with Shenhua for two years.

Allardyce believes that Anelka might be willing to take a paycut if it meant he could be back near his family.

He said: ‘He had a girlfriend, who is now his wife, and his family and I think that has matured him – I think Nicolas has still got his family here in London, I don’t think they moved out to China.’

The manager also noted that he had never had any behavioural problems with the sports star, despite the fact that he was nicknamed ‘Le Sulk’ in his younger days.

‘He never was like that in his entire time I had him,” he replied.

‘He was disappointed I left, when he came and played for me I had him at a very, very good time – probably at the height of his career, I would think, because he had matured into a dedicated professional,’ he said.